WHAT WE DO

We celebrate the culture, caring, and spirit of Hispanic nurses who are the leading voice of health in our communities.

 

Our Mission

NAHN is committed to advancing the health in Hispanic communities and to lead, promote and advocate the educational, professional, and leadership opportunities for Hispanic nurses.

NAHN Value Statement

We, the members of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses:

  • Engage in respectful, collaborative, purposeful and positive dialogue in the interest of a healthy organizational culture that creates value for the organization and the community.

  • Nurture and mentor our members by sharing knowledge, skills and resources to develop nurse leaders that will effectively impact the healthcare well-being of our communities.

  • Strive for excellence and integrity, both in the profession and in our daily lives.

  • Embrace innovation and forward-thinking, focusing on strategic outcomes that address the needs of our organization and our communities.

History

The National Association of Hispanic Nurses™ (NAHN™) was founded in 1975 by Ildaura Murillo-Rohde, PhD, RN, ND, FAAN.

In 1974, a group of Hispanics who were members of the American Nurses Association (ANA) met during the ANA Convention in Atlantic City with the intent to establish a Hispanic Nurses Caucus of ANA, since it was felt that ANA was not being responsive to the needs of Hispanic nurses. The group included Esther Coto-Walloch (California), Hector Hugo Gonzalez (Texas), Mimi Gonzalez (New York), Carmen Janosov (Puerto Rico), Berta Mejia (Connecticut), Janie Menchaca Wilson (Texas), Ildaura Murillo-Rohde (Washington), Herlinda Quintero (California), Sally Roybal (New Mexico), and Henrietta Villaescusa (California).

The group agreed to think about the concept and discuss it at the next ANA convention. In 1976, when the group met during the ANA Convention in San Francisco, the plan shifted and instead, they agreed to establish the National Association of Spanish-Speaking Spanish-Surnamed Nurses (NASSSN).  Ildaura volunteered and she was charged with incorporating NASSSN.  She incorporated NASSSN in Washington State in 1977 where, at that time, she was employed as Associate Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Washington at Seattle.

“There may have been others that attended these embryonic meetings but I do not recall their names clearly,” said Hector Hugo Gonzalez, PhD, VR-RN, one of the founding members and a past-president of NAHN.  “Vaguely, I remember that the following may also have attended:  Eloisa Tamez (Texas), a male nurse (first name Fernando; last name unknown) who worked at the VA Hospital in Oklahoma and last, a nurse named Josephine Baca (New Mexico),” added Hector.

In 1976, the organization became the National Association of Spanish-Speaking / Spanish-Surnamed Nurses, which was renamed as the National Association of Hispanic Nurses™ in 1979.

NAHN launched its official professional peer reviewed publication, Hispanic Health Care International (HHCI) at the 27th Annual Conference held July 2002 in Miami, Florida. HHCI is bilingual journal (English and Spanish) and is published four times a year.